My chances at Exeter?

Prep School Admissions
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<p>I'm not weighing in on the side conversation regarding "tone," but I do wish to point out that Exeter's newly announced policy has been their practice for the past 2 years now. They just weren't in a position to announce it as a policy because it was not funded to the point where it could be "permanent" and no assurance could be made at the beginning of those years that applicants would not be prejudiced by a limited FA budget. So while the press release is very recent, they have actually ended up admitting two classes now without denying anyone that they wanted because that applicant was seeking FA.</p>

<p>That brings me to this...</p>

<p>-------------------------------------------------- PUBLIC NOTICE! --------------------------------------------------</p>

<p>Whereby and wherefore it is resolved and decreed that the following hereby constitutes public and official notice that all of my posts from hereafter and in perpetuity shall be implied to commence with the words, "I could be wrong, but..." </p>

<p>(I'm also taking out a fine print ad in the Legal Notices section of my local paper to this effect in order to give notice to those who might not read this thread.)</p>

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<p>Oh...and one more thing: Woe to anyone who has taken action on anything I have previously posted here without imputing those words to any counsel I have offered. They did so at their peril. That's why I try to get people to purchase the Bunkel Ratings...so that way they're getting it straight from the software and not through me. (Bunkel Boarding School rating software is available for just $795 for a one-year subscription -- a great value compared to educational consultants and at a discount if you order it through my personal web mall. Interested shoppers should PM me for more information.) With Bunkel, you get what you pay for. With CC, you also get what you pay for.</p>

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<p>Interesting to note, this information is changing often. The SPS web site now says $65,000. However, as I stated, the writted information I have from them at my home states $60,000. So, sometime between the time that was printed (summer I imagine) and whenever the web was updated, the limit rose.</p>

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<p>And then there's this...to which I add the additional preface of "I haven't gone back to re-read the Exeter press release since the week it came out, but..."</p>

<p>...my recollection of Exeter's interpretation of need-blind seemed to vary in a subtle, but significant, way from other schools. I think their mandate is to grant full aid to all those who are admitted. Maybe I was imposing too much of a semantical overlay to their statement, but it did seem to me that they were take more of a full-funding approach as opposed to a need-blind approach. I was left with the impression that it would NOT be a coin-toss as to which of two of the mythical "otherwise identical applicants" would be admitted if one was seeking FA and the other wasn't. It sounded to me -- and the impression I took away from their press release -- was that they would try to satisfy their admission needs through full paying applicants and that if their needs required them to find applicants who needed FA, then those candidates would be getting full aid. For someone for whom this is a grave concern, I recommend that you read the press release again and if someone is in a position to ask them about this, that might help if this was clarified and nailed down. I'm just saying that I don't believe the jury's out, yet, on whether a FA applicant's folder is kept in the same box as the full pay applicants' folders when they sit down and review the applications in order to replenish the classes and dorms for next year.</p>

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<p>I agree with Dyer Maker...I think he was saying that it isn't as black and white as it all seems. Exeter has about a third of all students on FA. That means that 2/3 are NOT on FA. They do need 2/3 of the students to be "full pays". Even though they have a huge endowment, some of it is earmarked for aid, but not all of it. So just like the colleges, they rely on tuition revenue and are looking for about 2/3 of their class to be full pays. The question is, are 2/3 of the applications from full pays and 1/3 from FA kids? if that is the case, then yes, it is truly need blind. But based on what other schools have told me, it probably isn't the case. If you put yourself into the full pay category it might give you an added boost. And yes, I know what the Exeter website says, I'm just not sure I believe it.</p>

<p>I could be wrong, but that's my two cents.</p>

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<p>Here's a question:</p>

<p>Does the statement "In fact, no financial aid candidate is at any disadvantage in the admissions process" also mean that a full-pay candidate does not have an advantage? Probably not.</p>

<p>I DO think the full-pay candidate has an advantage. And why shouldn't they? These are private schools for goodness sake! They can admit the candidates for whatever reasons they choose. Rich, poor, black, white, athlete, musician, one-legged kicker, etc.</p>

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<p>Interesting thoughts. I'm sure these marketing efforts are going to increase applications from students needing financial aid. Here's a stat that would be interesting to find out (although I'm guessing only those on the "inside" will ever really know the answer). What percent of students needing finanacial aid got accepted pre-accouncement and what percent after?</p>

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<p>newyorker22,Exeter is over 40% on FA for the class of "11. I find it hard to believe that cynicism would creep so readily into a New Yorkers post.You made some interesting points however.</p>

<p>Forgive me folks but I have two children who are on full financial aid currently at Exeter and a third who already graduated. One was clearly "hooked" and the other two decidedly not. It is and was a great experience for my children, and my family is eternally grateful to the Exeter community.I cannot overemphasize the positive impact it has had on them.
You will have to forgive me if I get a little crabby when people are negative towards the school or pass along misinformation.
On a random note I have purchased D'yer's Bunkel Boarding School Rating for 07/08 and I object to having Andover rated number two behind Exeter. Everyone knows St. Paul's is number two.
baseballmom I am sorry you took offense to my post. I went to a tough public school. Nuance and diplomacy are not my specialty. Good day Maam.</p>

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<p>Blueliner...I think what they are all saying is that clearly Exeter can NOT award EVERY student free tuition. So, with this newly announced program, they WILL in fact get more applications from families wtih financial aid needs. They may indeed increase the percent of students receiving financail aid. However at some point, the full pay students will be given an advantage. What that point is, we don't know, their business office does. But the pit is not bottomless and there will be a number when they run out of FA dollars for a given class. </p>

<p>In regards to your Bunkel reference, I thought the beauty of it was that you put in your OWN critera and it gives you ratings? If so, then you rated Andover yourself higher than SPS.. ?????</p>

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<p>blueliner--You must be mistaken. I think it was YOU who took offense to MY post. This is starting to feel like the Parent Cafe! LOL</p>

<p>Tough crowd today, but that's just my opinion. ;)</p>

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<p>Folks,</p>

<p>Call me a crazy and naive but I believe Exeter when they have told us that they choose the class and then deal with FA (If I don't who would?). It does seem that in all likelyhood there is a finite number for financial aid every year. The Exeter endowment did just go over 1 billion so who knows but the guys/gals in charge.</p>

<p>Linda S you have shown me to be a hypocrite when I tell you I did not do MY homework when it comes to D'yers Bunkel ratings. I was fleesed out of $779 through no fault but my own. My bad.
BTW the tough crowds are the best crowds IMHO baseballmom.</p>

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<p>No fleesing - I think a ratings system that allows you to put in your own criteria is a *wonderful *idea. I also have no idea is the Bunkel system has a "default" rating, which it might. What you consider great in a school, I might not. Using Exeter as an example, I WISH it would be a good match for my son, but I know it isn't. Unfortunately for us, the perfect matches have endowments that are in TOTAL not a whole lot more than Exeter spends each year on financial aid. </p>

<p>Now, as D'yer said, I'm sure they have run the numbers and likely they have been doing this already...maybe the last few years they filled their classes and had "money left over" in their FA budget. I do believe Andover was already doing this too because I know someone who got accepted to both these schools and got full FA packages at both. In any case, maybe they have "projected" what the additional aid will be - heck they are even including books, linens, etc in the deal, and they are always raising money. As a fundraiser, I know that scholarships is something that people tend to want to give money to. It's an "easy" sell.</p>

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<p>What schools are possible & probable for a student with:
Grades: 3.5
SSAT: 2091
Sports & lots of extracurriculars</p>

<p>Also, would a score of 650 on reading comprehension eliminate a candidate from groton?</p>

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<p>MamaInez, what were the percentiles?</p>

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<p>MamaInez...
You might want to start a new topic with more specifics - it might get more answers and not get lost.</p>

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<p>5% interest on $1 billion works out to $50,000,000. With 1,000 students, that works out to $50,000 per student. As a school, they're a non-profit institution. I don't think Exeter needs to give full pay students priority in admissions. I don't think Exeter needs to charge tuition at all, as a matter of fact.</p>

<p>Exeter has a large pool of alums, many of whom have produced children, and grandchildren. Just as the Ivies could, I believe Exeter could fill their classes with only legacies. That they don't do this is a credit to the institution. (I am not an Exeter alum, nor am I an employee.)</p>

<p>The limiting factor is in the quality of the applicant's academic preparation. Declaring admissions to be need blind ushers in a new era, however, and I wonder how many families are prepared for that. There are many smart kids whose families have decided, "We have to stay in the public system, because there's no way we can afford prep school." The pool just became much larger, and even more competitive, and I would bet that there are applicants who would have been admitted last year, who won't be admitted this year.</p>

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<p>The Bunkel Ratings are published. They come up with their own ratings every year (with quarterly updates for subscribers). But those ratings are based on the factors that the Bunkel Boarding Board (based in Princeton Township, NJ) selects and assigns weights to. The beauty of the software is that you're not stuck with the outcome or the criteria selected by Bunkel Boarding School Software Systems, LLP. You can use the vast stores of data and through the most powerful user-friendly ranking engine -- think Google, but instead of searching, you're ranking -- you can establish your own personalized rankings! See what I mean? This software practically sells itself.</p>

<p>Thanks for the business Blueliner! BTW, I get a 10% commission, but I will split that with you -- in addition to the 10% you saved by going through my web mall. Just send me a PM with your bank account number and the bank's transit number and it will be credited to your account, straight from the Nigerian Federal Treasury Bank as of the next business day.</p>

<p>2007 Final Bunkel Ratings (comparing traditional rival schools):</p>

<p>St. George's (5,886.7) vs. Middlesex (6,122.3) = Middlesex by 235.6</p>

<p>Choate (6,376.1) vs. Taft (5,264.0) = Choate, by 1,112.1</p>

<p>Deerfield (6,940.2) vs. Hotchkiss (6,302.9) = Deerfield by 637.3</p>

<p>Avon Old Farms (2,545.3) vs. Salisbury (3,003.4) vs. Trinity-Pawling (2,877.0) = Salisbury by 126.4 and 458.1</p>

<p>Hill (4,084.5) vs. Lawrenceville (5,922.6) = Lawrenceville by 1,834.1</p>

<p>Blair (5,305.5) vs. Peddie (4,979.9) = Blair by 325.6</p>

<p>St. Paul's (7,032.3) vs. Groton (6,115.9) = St. Paul's by 916.4...but if you remove the 8th grade weighted figures, Groton scores 7,109.8, giving them a negligible 77.5 advantage. However, the fact of the matter is Groton has an 8th grade and you can't remove the 8th grade from the campus so why should you remove its impact from the Bunkel Index figures? Right?</p>

<p>Loomis (4,788.1) vs. Kent (4,247.8) = Loomis-Chafee by 540.3</p>

<p>Exeter (7,543.2) vs. Andover (6,877.2) = Exeter by 666 even</p>

<p>Again, these numbers are using the proprietary Bunkel rating algorithm. If you buy the software, the results you obtain will vary. The Bunkel system is not public. In fact, for Thanksgiving, just for fun here at Chez D'yer, we all grabbed our mulled cider and hot cocoa and gathered 'round the computer after dinner and tried to tweak the factors to replicate their scores. Lots of good family fun.</p>

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<p>I'm not saying that Exeter's lying. I applaud what they're doing and how it will hopefully impel more schools to follow suit. I'm just suggesting that instead of being blind, they're really just blindfolded. The difference being that when you're blind, you're blind. But if you're blindfolded, you can take a peek every so often just to be sure you don't crash.</p>

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<p>The other thing is that endowments are not just for financial aid. They use them to *many **other things. I'm sure the 1 billion is the total. I'm also sure they have endowed teaching chairs, likely they have been thoughtful enough to endow the expenses of some program or building, probably a speaker series is endowed, an exchange program, teacher enrichment, etc, etc etc.<br>
Take a look at this page: The</a> Exeter Initiatives
That overviews their *current campaign. They are "only" trying to raise $70 million for financial aid. That one billion, in no way is all for financial aid. There WILL be a limit on the amount they can award. I'm sure they have made an educated guess on what the "demand" will be and they are, of course, figuring that they will need to raise an additional $70million to cover that. They have done their homework. From the sounds of the initiatives wording it looks like they reached that $70 million goal and thus made the annoucement.</p>

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<p>I checked up on this thread to see if I got any new answers about my acceptance chances, and was surprised to find, well, a virtual battlefield. I, too got the notice that an Exeter education could be free, and that's one of the reasons that I am applying to this incredible school. Can anyone else give me their input on whether I have a chance at being accepted? </p>

<p>I appreciate all your comments, and I'm glad that the info got cleared up. Thanks!</p>